[MP3] In The Name of The Father – Black Grape

And, on Day 2 we have the one I was really not looking forward to. Black Grape.

It’s not that I don’t like them per se, more that I have no interest in really listening to them. They annoy me. Shaun Ryder *really* annoys me. I dislike the shouting over music thing they have going on.

But, in the interests of completeness, I present, my ‘favourite’ Black Grape song off this album. Favourite is very much a relative term I hasten to add.

Roll on tomorrow

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[MP3] Connection – Elastica

Well, as promised, here’s the first of the Phonogram blogs. The first issue cover is a pastiche of the Elastica (eponymously titled) album from 1995. I’ll admit I didn’t really know much about it at the time, beyond hearing them on the Evening Session as I did my homework – this was when it was on at the very convenient time of 6-8, allowing me to do my homework, and then watch TV with my parents/do other stuff. Then Jo Whiley left, and the time changed and frankly it all went a bit wrong.

Anyway, I digress. Elastica. They became one of those bands I kept meaning to listen to, and never quite got round to. Then Uni came around, with it’s fast internet connection and glorious, glorious Audiogalaxy. I downloaded the album, and discovered it was Quite Good. Predictable as it seems though, Connection was my favourite track. The guitars are…messy for want of a better word, and it’s just an ace song. Reminds me what I like about Britpop, and makes me want to dance around the living room. Which, much to the boys’ dismay, I often do.

Random Elastica ‘trivia’. When I was at school, we had French dictionaries that did that thing of putting a sentence after the word, to show how it was used. The word ‘girlfriend’ had the following sentence (or an approximation) ‘Justine is Damon’s girlfriend.’ This was at the time that Justine from Elastica was dating Damon from Blur, and they were pretty much the poster couple for Britpop. I found it most amusing that the dictionary compiler was able to commemorate this in an academic dictionary. Of course, they split up not that long after…

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Following a reread of Phonogram by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, I’ve decided to do a post a day for the next week, based on the cover pastiches – both from the 6 comics and the trade paperback (which, I have been told I have to do last, which is annoying, as I’ve chosen one of my favourite all time tracks). I’ve chosen an track off each of the seven albums, and will post them over the next week with the album cover pastiche.

::shrugs:: This may turn out to be a horrid, very cheesy disaster or it might turn out okay. We’ll see It’ll also tie me in to posting daily for the next week, starting tonight

[MP3] Copper Girl – 3 Colours Red

This is a bit of a tribute post. Keith Baxter from 3 Colours Red died of liver failure on January 4th. I was lucky enough to see the band live a few times, and they were great. I didn’t go to see them the last chance I had, as I went to see David Ford, but oh well

This is probably my favourite 3CR song, and I don’t really have that much to say about it. I loved it live especially, but then, they were pretty damn good live – but then I can’t think of a song they played when I saw them that I didn’t like. I do remember dancing around to this with Eri (but that encompasses a lot of my memories from gigs with Eri

This is more a bit of a tribute then anything else. Normal posting to be resumed soon.

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[MP3] Set Fire to the Third Bar – Snow Patrol and Martha Wainwright

Okay, now we’re getting in to the ’slightly dubious’ category of music taste I know Snow Patrol are considered to be a slightly dubious band, and some of their stuff does veer toward…mediocrity. This song however, I think is excellent. XFM used to play it a lot in the mornings, before 7, while I’d be lying in the dark listening to the radio, willing my alarm not to go off., and just wondering who it was – it seemed to be oe of those tracks that the DJ never announces the band or title

I love the plaintive tones of both Martha Wainwright and Gary Lightbody, and find this track kind of swallows me up – it’s pretty all encompassing. I need to find some more Martha Wainwright actually – I wonder if her voice has this quality on her own material.

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[MP3] Hold Your Hair Back – Jacob Golden

I saw Jacob Golden supporting David Ford a couple of months ago, and fell in love with him – especially with this song. I bought the album a couple of weeks later, and have been listening to it more and more, especially walking home in the evenings – the slightly melancholy tones seem to fit walking home in the dark

This song was a real standout for me at the gig, and it was amazing how this little skinny guy with an acoustic guitar managed to fill Shepherd’s Bush Empire with his songs. He’s playing at the Roundhouse in a few weeks, which I’m really looking forward to

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[MP3] Rebellion (Lies) – Arcade Fire, Live at Alexandra Palace, November 16th 2007

I had this thought for a blog where I could upload songs that made me smile, that I liked, but then hit a bit of a block when I was trying to think of the first track to upload. Sets a precedent, ya know? This morning, this came on my mp3 player (I have it set to random) and depite it being cold, wet and not that light, it made me smile so much, that I realised this should be the first track.

I think it’s probably my favourite AF track ever. Well, tying with Wake Up…This is a live version from when I saw them in November. It was a pretty poor gig – no fault of the band, just the venue (it’s a huge aircraft hangeresque place), but this track was excellent. It’s taken from an audience, and while the sound quality might not be fantastic, being able to hear the crowd just makes it better IMHO.

Trying to explain just why I love this band normally results in me just going ‘Because they’re excellent’. Seeing them live borders on a religous experience sometimes, and despite not being around for all that long, I do definately think they’re in my top 3 bands of all time (other 2 being Radiohead and Manics. Manics when they were good.) and I try to inflict them on as many people as possible.

Now Wake Up has come on, and I am wondering whether to upload this as well. I might save it for another day, for when my musical tastes start to show me up a bit I mean, AF are a fairly cool band, when contrasted with some of the stuff I will probably upload in the future